RevenueCat

From ChatGPT to Duolingo, we’re putting the world’s top subscription apps in the hot seat. See what makes their paywalls work—and where they fall short. The world’s biggest subscription apps didn’t get to the top by accident. Their paywalls are key to converting users and driving growth. But even the best apps have lessons to teach—both in what works and what doesn’t. In this edition of Roast My Paywall, we’re taking on 10 of the most popular subscription apps across categories. With live critiques from our expert panel, you’ll learn exactly what makes these paywalls tick and how to apply those insights to your own app.

It’s official! When OpenAI brought ChatGPT subscriptions to mobile, they chose RevenueCat to power the experience—and we’re thrilled to share the full story with you This is one of the rare OpenAI customer success stories made public, and we’re honored to have been a part of ChatGPT’s journey to becoming one of the fastest-growing mobile apps ever Read all about how we helped their team launch, scale, and offer subscriptions to millions: https://lnkd.in/eVmbmieJ

Did you miss our Google app campaigns masterclass with Ashley Black this week? Here's the recording, plus ten takeaways to get started with. ➡️ 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: For effective learning, aim for at least $200/day on Android and $500/day on iOS. iOS campaigns need more data to work well. ➡️ 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹: You can’t choose audiences or specific placements, so focus on creative assets to guide the algorithm. ➡️ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿: Prioritize text, image, and video assets optimized for each ad type. Test different lengths and formats, like 6-second shorts and longer in-stream videos. ➡️ 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: Android traffic is dominated by Play Store placements (text-heavy). iOS drives 60% of traffic via video, making strong video creative essential. ➡️ 𝗕𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆: For meaningful actions like free trials, CPA works best. ROAS bidding can be effective for in-app purchases but may struggle with delayed events like subscriptions. ➡️ 𝗕𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁: Google’s algorithm takes longer to optimize than Meta’s. Avoid making large (>20%) changes to bids or budgets—small adjustments help maintain performance. ➡️ 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽: Use Google’s app placement reports to monitor where ads run. Block underperforming apps or sites to improve results. ➡️ 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱: Bidding on Firebase events (like app installs or in-app actions) significantly outperforms Play Store events for Android campaigns. ➡️ 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀? Start with Android: Android campaigns perform better with lower budgets. On iOS, high spend is critical to train the algorithm. ➡️ 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀: Don’t replicate your iOS approach on Android—or your Meta strategy on Google. Each platform works differently, so adapt accordingly. #googleappcampaigns #appgrowth

🚨 Support tickets piling up? Churn eating into your revenue? That’s why we launched Customer Center—our self-serve subscription management UI that’s now better than ever! Customer Center lets your users: ✅ Cancel, change plans, or request refunds directly in your app ✅ Leave feedback before canceling their subscriptions ✅ See targeted promotional offers to stay subscribed We launched the beta version back in October, and thanks to your feedback, we’ve made big improvements. What’s new since beta? 📊 Feedback responses now appear in Charts for easier analysis 🛠 Fully customizable management screen, feedback prompts, and offers, all from your dashboard 🔄 A dedicated management screen for users without active subscriptions 🔗 Custom URLs to link customers to your FAQ, support pages, or any other helpful resources Add Customer Center with just one line of code to reduce churn, get customer feedback, and lower support tickets. Now available on iOS 15+, and Android support is coming soon! Check out the blog to learn more (link in comments 👇).

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗞𝗔𝗱𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘀 Lucas Moscon explores the complexities of SKAdNetwork—Apple's privacy-first attribution framework— in this detailed and comprehensive guide, tailored specifically for subscription apps. Attribution on iOS has changed dramatically, leaving apps grappling with: 🚧 Limited visibility into user behavior and campaign performance 🚧 Mapping free trials and retention to revenue under SKAdNetwork constraints 🚧 Adapting strategies to thrive without user-level data This guide provides: ✅ SKAdNetwork fundamentals: Clear, practical explanations of how it works ✅ Best practices: Tips for mapping conversion values and optimizing campaigns ✅ Actionable insights: How to build a winning strategy with aggregated data Find the full guide by Lucas Moscon in the comments to explore these topics and more. #SKAdNetwork #SubscriptionApps

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀? In this week’s Sub Club podcast, David Barnard chats with Patrick Falzon, co-founder of The App Shop, to unpack the strategies behind scaling subscription apps and preparing for acquisition. Patrick’s expertise comes from managing some of the most successful subscription app portfolios. In the conversation, they explore: 🔹 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁: Why bigger isn’t always better 🔹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀: The risks of trying to do too much 🔹 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: How to align your app for a strategic acquisition 🔹 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀: Balancing risk with multiple smaller apps 🔹 𝗟𝗧𝗩 𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵𝘀: Why lifetime value isn’t always the best metric Find links to listen in the comments below 👇 Some key takeaways: 1️⃣ Niche markets can provide better opportunities to differentiate and win market share compared to highly competitive categories. 2️⃣ Apps with focused, simple value propositions tend to retain users better than feature-heavy ones. 3️⃣ Clean operations and scalable systems are essential for attracting buyers and maximizing acquisition value. #subscriptionapps #appgrowth

Join Ashley Black as she shares a decade of insider knowledge Navigating Google App Campaigns can be challenging—there's so much to consider, from crafting the right creative assets to understanding bidding strategies. We're hosting a webinar with Ashley Black, founder of Candid Consulting Group, who brings nearly 10 years of experience from her time at Google. Ashley has managed ad strategies for some of the largest app advertisers and analyzed thousands of Google Ads accounts. She's seen firsthand what works and what doesn't. In this webinar, Ashley will share practical insights to help you optimize your app campaigns and achieve sustainable growth.

Low traffic making A/B testing difficult? You’re not out of options. For apps with lower traffic, A/B testing might not be viable. Without enough users, your tests might show no significant results—or worse, lead to false conclusions. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck guessing. Here are some alternative ways to test and learn effectively: 1️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Instead of testing for big outcomes like subscriptions, focus on smaller steps, like completing onboarding or reaching a key screen. Higher volume means quicker results, and these insights often correlate with overall performance. 2️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 Run experiments through app store listings. Tools like Apple’s Product Page Optimization and Google’s Store Listing Experiments let you test your messaging with much larger audiences. 3️⃣ 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 a) App user testing: Watch real users navigate your app. It’s invaluable for catching usability issues. b) User interviews: Talk to users (and churned users!) to understand their needs and frustrations. c) Surveys & customer care feedback: Regularly review ongoing feedback to spot patterns. 4️⃣ 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗽𝘀 & 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 See how users interact with your app. Identify where they drop off, what they engage with, and where they might face friction. These insights can help you uncover bottlenecks and refine key screens for a smoother user experience. 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 Even with limited data, start small, focus on high-impact changes, and use qualitative insights to validate decisions. Daphne Tideman’s full guide (link in the comments) explores each of these strategies (and more), offering clear steps to turn small data into big wins. If you’re struggling with low traffic, you don’t have to stop experimenting—you just need a smarter approach. What’s your go-to approach for testing in low-traffic situations? Share your ideas below! #appgrowth #usertesting #subscriptionapps

Five lessons on optimizing one of your app's most important screens from Michal Parizek's new essential guide to paywalls 👇 (A link to which you can find in the comments) 1️⃣ 𝗢𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 At Mojo, ~50% of trial starts came during onboarding. Users are most motivated early, so make your paywall part of the onboarding flow. 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 Small changes, like hiding monthly plans, led to a boost in yearly subscriptions at Mojo, without lowering overall conversions. A/B testing is essential for uncovering what works. 3️⃣ 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 Localization is more than translation: users across regions can have different buying behaviors and responses to paywalls. For instance, showing equivalent monthly pricing for yearly plans can resonate in markets like Latin America. It makes your offer more relatable without undercutting value. 4️⃣ 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 Highlight value clearly and guide users toward the most attractive option. Mojo’s top-performing paywalls reduced choice overload and boosted conversions. 5️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 Track trial-to-paid conversions, ARPU, and cancellation rates by market. These numbers will help prioritize your next experiments. Michal’s strategies helped Mojo boost ARPU by 60% in just 5 months. How could these tips work for your app? #Paywalls #AppGrowth

Ready to see TikTok magic in action? During this live, high-tempo session, Joseph Choi—founder of the Consumer Club Community—will share actionable TikTok strategies tailored to YOUR apps. You’ll witness live brainstorming, hear viral marketing insights, and leave with TikTok growth tactics you can put into play immediately.